As the Diversity Advantage Initiative enters its second decade, the City of Bellevue is developing a new plan to guide progress toward the creation of a welcoming and belonging environment where everyone feels valued and can contribute their diverse perspectives and talents.
In 2014, the city adopted the first Diversity Advantage Plan. Since the plan’s adoption, the Bellevue community has grown in population and diversity. The updated plan will include new recommended actions and strategies that accurately reflect the community and its future needs, supporting the initiative's evolution to be more community-led and city-supported.
The new plan will provide tools, strategies and resources to help staff integrate equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging into their work. The original plan will be updated with sections about current landscape, goals for the future and a plan for how to achieve those goals.
The plan envisions a future where the community and the city work hand-in-hand to promote diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, leading to an improved quality of life for all residents. Principles of equity will be integrated into every aspect of Bellevue life. Goals include:
- Strengthened bonds with communities: Cultivate deeper partnerships with communities. This approach envisions a community-led model bolstered by robust city support. In this model, communities take the lead in driving equity initiatives, while the city provides vital resources, guidance and sustenance for these endeavors.
- Integration of equity principles: Integrate equity principles into every aspect of city plans, policies, procedures and practices.
- Enhanced quality of life for residents: Improve the quality of life for all residents, focusing on access to transportation, healthcare, safety and other essential services. With such access, every resident and visitor, regardless of background or circumstances, enjoys a higher quality of life within the city.
Community Engagement
Development of the plan included a community engagement effort that involved city staff leaders to improve the city’s capacity to advance diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, followed by a convening of community leaders to gather input in addition to that collected from the Centering Communities of Color dialogues and Cross-Cultural Center workshops.
Plan Development
City staff will update the plan in 2024 based on this community involvement, and will share the draft plan with the community for input before it is presented to the City Council for adoption by spring 2025.
Timeline
Implementation (Spring 2025 and Beyond): After adoption, the team will monitor early progress on the new plan, adjusting it based on evaluation and community feedback as implementation and departmental plans unfold. (Not started)
City Action (Winter-Spring 2025): Collaborating with city departments, the team is engaging with department on the development of new actions and objectives aligned with council’s strategic targets and future budget proposals. (In progress)
Organize (Summer-Fall 2024): The team prepares for the rollout of Diversity Advantage 2.0 by developing communication materials, training resources, and engagement strategies for both city staff and community members. They are meeting with departments and city leaders about the draft DAP 2.0 goals and guiding principles. (in progress)
Development (Fall 2023): Utilizing community feedback, the team created the first targets and goals in the Diversity Advantage Plan 2.0. (complete)
Community Engagement (Summer-Fall 2023): The Diversity Advantage Team hosted community meetings and workshops, including a project team retreat and dialogues focusing on diversity and inclusion. The input gathered was summarized in the DAP Community Conversation Summary and Report. (complete)
Project Planning (Spring 2023): The Diversity Advantage Team met with city experts and leaders to craft a plan for updating the Diversity Advantage Plan, resulting in a prioritized work plan based on community input. (complete)